Aberdeen Fun Fact #2

Remember when I said "There's no place like home?" well I figured it was about time that explained why that was so appropriate!

Aberdeen Fun Fact #2....L. Frank Baum, author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" once lived in Aberdeen!

Lyman Frank Baum was an American author of children's books, best known of course for writing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Although born in New York State, after marrying Maud Gage in 1882, L. Frank Baum and his wife moved to Aberdeen in July, 1888.

Baum opened a store, "Baum's Bazaar."  His habit of giving out wares on credit led to the eventual bankrupting of the store, so Baum tuned to editing a local newspaper, "The Aberdeen Saturday Pioneer," where he wrote a column, "Our Laundry."  Baum's description of Kansas in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is based on his experience in drought-ridden South Dakota.

While in South Dakota, Baum sang in a quartet that included a man who would become one of the first Populist Senators in the U.S., James Kyle.

Also during this time, Maud's mother, Matilda Joslyn Gage was living in the Baum household. Gage was one of the first and most outspoken suffragists, a Native American activist, an abolitionist (she grew up in a house that served the Underground Railroad), a freethinker and a prolific author.

Baum's legacy lives on in one of Aberdeen's many nicknames (The Land of Oz) as well as in Storybook Land, a theme park located in Wylie Park which features its newest addition, The Land of Oz, in honor of the time Baum spent in Aberdeen.  The ten-acre park features a farmstead area with Dorothy's house, children's petting zoo, Munchkin Land, Scarecrow's house, Tin Man's house, Wicked Witch Castle, and the Emerald City.

Hopefully someday soon I will visit Wylie Park and Storybook Land and provide you with some photos of this awesome Aberdeen landmark.  So far everything is going well here in SD and at work, unfortunately readjusting to working 40+ hours a week has me pretty exhausted and so I don't find myself doing too much once I'm off work each week!  This weekend will be the first weekend I'm actually staying in Aberdeen though so hopefully I will have some adventures to share!!

Aberdeen Fun Fact #1

So for something fun I figured I would throw out an Aberdeen Fun Fact every once and a while, and this is the first one!!  Although it would probably be more appropriate if it were #8......

Aberdeen, South Dakota is the birthplace of hotel franchise Super 8!  
Super 8 was founded in 1972 by Dennis Brown and Ron Rivett as a hotel referral system, which was later replaced by a franchise in 1973.  The original room rate was $8.88 - giving the franchise its famous name.  The first motel was opened in 1974 in Aberdeen, South Dakota and boasts 60 rooms.  This motel still operates today as the Aberdeen Super 8 East (one of many in Aberdeen alone).  Super 8 was acquired by Wyndham Hotel Group in 1993 and has expanded to more than 2,000 properties across the world.

Why you may ask is this of any interest??  Well, with moving day right around the corner and a full day's drive between Columbia and Aberdeen, there is a good chance my mom and I will be staying at the original Super 8 when we arrive since it will likely be too late to get into my apartment.

The plan is to pack up Monday and Tuesday, drive the almost 12-hour drive on Wednesday and move everything in on Thursday, July 1 barring any complications!!  Say your prayers that everything goes smoothly and I will be sure to keep you posted as to the shenanigans that will inevitably ensue.